The Churches of Thatcher

The late prime minister was marked by her early Methodism, even after she joined the Church of England, as the Economist relates:

It was never hard to see the influence of Methodism, born as a reaction to the complacency and privilege of 18th-century Anglicanism, on Mrs Thatcher. She believed in thrift and hard work, and liked the advice of John Wesley, Methodism’s founder, to earn, save and only then give as much as possible. The acts of generosity listed in the New Testament, from the Good Samaritan’s to that of the woman who anointed Christ’s feet, were possible only because the donors had money, she noted.

But in other ways, Mrs Thatcher moved away from Methodism, and it moved away from her. As she ascended firmly to the upper middle class, she began attending Anglican church. Conspicuous consumption and debt-fuelled growth, often seen as legacies of the Thatcher era, could hardly be further from Methodist values. And in her native east Midlands, Methodist communities and ministers were active in defending coalminers during the strike which she defeated. Methodism has influenced Britain’s centre-left far more than its political right.

She was, as the magazine notes, “the last British prime minister openly and emphatically to acknowledge the influence of Christianity on her thinking, in particular terms not fuzzy ones.” (While Tony Blair was “passionately religious,” he was “famously discouraged by his advisers from “doing God” in public because of the fear that he might sound nutty.”)

While I don’t doubt Thatcher wore her religion on her sleeve, I fail to see the connection between Christianity and her policies. Did she refer to scripture when cutting social benefits? Which passages, I wonder.

Obviously her promotion of Section 28 might have had a scriptural connection. Did she make that case?

By “social benefits” you presumably mean the government using the threat of violence and incarceration to “induce” people to give up part of their earnings through taxation. Can you find a Biblical passage that endorses such coercion?

Of course, G.W. Bush went the other way. As an Episcopalian, I used to consider this apostasy a regrettable betrayal pursued for political expediency (since Episcopalians aren’t in the habit of describing themselves as “born again Christians” every time they get behind a microphone). But this reasoning ignored two facts: (1) His drinking problem, which Methodism has a good reputation for helping people overcome, or at least avoid;
(2) His wife, who is a Methodost. All doctrine aside, to convert to the faith of one’s spouse is a generous and humble gesture, and I would be disappointed in God if it annoyed Him.

To answer Paul Emmons, Denis Thatcher was as I recall typically English in that he would have been C of E but not practising, other than occasionally at Christmas, Easter and maybe Harvest Festival. Sundays would have found him on the golf course.

Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.”And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Mark 12:13-17, or alternatively,

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Romans 13:1-7, or alternatively Titus 3:1, or 1 Peter 2:13, or the temple tax described in Exodus 30, or the corvée exacted from the Canaanites in the Book of Joshua. There are probably a number of others in the OT as well.